I just made a reservation for my girlfriend and I to go to Europe over the summer and booked into W fare class to use GPUs for upgrading. Before even applying the upgrade, I noticed something I hadn't seen before on international reservations (PN Class Requested).

I checked the reservation this morning and it said a modification had been made and that I need to call Reservations. It is now showing the outbound leg as Upgraded into BusinessFirst. Is this normal? I didn't know sans-GPU you could upgrade from W into BF? Or is this a GS perk?

Thanks for clearing this up for me!

Are you sure you didn't perform a search and choose "Buy Economy and Upgrade" during the booking process? Do you have the same number of GPUs as you did before?

No, this is not a GS perk.

Yes I did perform that search. But I only have one GPU? And it's still showing in the balance. So it wouldn't have made sense for my gf and I both to be upgraded. I guess they will realize that when I call.

Edit: You are right - the GPU is gone. However, I did only have one so my girlfriend should not have been upgraded. We'll see what happens - I bet they just reverse it.

Thanks for the follow-up though and confirming it is not in fact a perk/means of getting upgraded sans GPU.

I wonder - why is it possible for a GS to convert R space into IN space for a saver business award, but not possible to convert ON into O for a saver Polaris First award?

I realize nobody may know the answer here (unless someone has done it).

Update: I just called United and asked. She confirmed that they are not able to convert ON into O (she referred to this as "overbooking"). Right now I'm confirmed in IN (saver biz) and waitlisted for O on the same flight.

However, she said that within 3 days of travel, they are able to "overbook" Polaris First as long as there will still be one seat available after. I'm not sure if this requires ON to be available or if this is simply a benefit of GS to force a waitlist through at T-72. Either way I don't see any benefit related to this listed in the Wiki.

Tomorrow is T-72 and the flight is at F7. Will report back what I am able to determine unless someone already knows the answer.

So, final update, and I'll also add this to the wiki. I believe this is really a new benefit not clearly laid out yet. (The agent had to look it up and quote to me the rules - she herself was unaware of this benefit previously)

To recap:
- I was booked on a saver business award (IN) on a 3-cabin aircraft
- I was waitlisted for O space on the same flight
- At T-3 days, I was able to call and confirm the O space.

She said as per the rules, the following had to be true:
- I had to have an existing saver business award and looking to move into a higher cabin on a 3-cabin aircraft
- It had to be T-3 days
- After opening the space, there had to remain at least one revenue seat available for sale (in other words she can't fill up the cabin by clearing me).

She made it sound like the rules were very similar to the existing rules around waitlisting for a higher cabin . I asked her specifically if I had a business award on a flight with a connection, whether she'd be able to open up space in O on a nonstop, and she said the rules do not specify against that.

On my return flight (HND-SFO-ORD), I am using an X award upgraded to PN with a GPU. HND-SFO is already cleared but PN is not yet available SFO-ORD. I asked if the T-3 benefit applies to this too and she said "yes, though they would have to look at the waitlist to make sure that there weren't a bunch of Globals ahead of me"

In essence it seems to confirm that GS has a lot of discretion in clearing upgrades/opening space at T-3 as long as you're next on the list and not filling up the cabin.

The GS agent at the LAX check-in desk today mentioned that the LAX GS lobby is planning to open on June 20.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quick question: I'm GS, have a somewhat elderly family member flying today that needs to check bags etc. To be clear, I am not flying. Anyone have any luck bringing someone into the GS lobby at SFO to get them checked in etc? Obviously outside the rules and benefits but wanted to see if anyone has had any luck doing so. Thanks.

I have done this a couple of times at ORD and not accompanied my disabled father but I have emailed the ORD GS manager each time beforehand and asked for permission. I'm not sure how/if he notes my father's PNR but he has never had a problem, but I've always asked beforehand.

If you are concerned about granting him or her access to the GS check in w/o you flying, I'd buy a refundable ticket for yourself and go thru the check in process with your family member. Once thru security uncheck yourself in and cancel said ticket.

Or buy a mileage ticket for any flight later that day and cancel after you took your relative to the gate. Since you can cancel free of charge as GS.

I vaguely recall that some GS guy got trouble from United for making cancellations like that too frequently.

Something like weekly for about a year -- a onetimer has no worries.

I don't think you need to book a refundable or mileage ticket just to enter the GS lobby with your family member. If you go in there with them, I see no issues with them allowing access. Just be forthright with your intentions and all should be fine.

but what if the elderly PAX does not have Pre Check? Out you go to join the great unwashed, correct?